Archaeology – the study of human cultures through the analysis and interpretation of artefacts and material remains – continues to captivate and engage people on a local and global level. Internationally celebrated heritage sites such as the pyramids—both Egyptian and Mayan—Lascaux caves, and the statues of Easter Island provide insights into our ancestors and their actions and motivation. But there is much more to archaeology than famous sites. Ask any archaeologist about their job and they will touch on archaeological theory, chemistry, geology, history, classical studies, museum studies, ethical practice, and survey methods, along with the analysis and interpretation of artefacts and sites. Archaeology is a much broader subject than its public image and branches into many other fields in the social and physical sciences.

This multi-volume work provides a comprehensive and systematic coverage of archaeology that is unprecedented, not only in terms of the use of multi-media, but also in terms of content. It encompasses the breadth of the subject along with key aspects that are tapped from other disciplines. It includes all time periods and regions of the world and all stages of human development. Mostly importantly, this encyclopedia includes the knowledge of leading scholars from around the world.

The entries in this encyclopedia range from succinct summaries of specific sites and the scientific aspects of archaeological enquiry to detailed discussions of archaeological concepts, theories and methods, and from investigations into the social, ethical and political dimensions of archaeological practice to biographies of leading archaeologists from throughout the world. The different forms of archaeology are explored, along with the techniques used for each and the challenges, concerns and issues that face archaeologists today.

The Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology has two outstanding innovations. The first is that scholars were able to submit entries in their own language. Over 300,000 words have been translated from French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, Japanese, Turkish and Russian. Many of these entries are by scholars who are publishing in English for the first time.

This compendium is both a print reference and an online reference work. The encyclopedia’s second major innovation is that it harnesses the capabilities of an online environment, enhancing both the presentation and dissemination of information. Most particularly, the continuous updating allowed by an online environment should ensure that the Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology is a definitive reference work for archaeology and archaeologists.

Professor Claire Smith is a faculty member of the Department of Archaeology, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia. She has been awarded research fellowships from the Australian Research Council and the Fulbright Commission, the latter hosted by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum for Natural History and American University, Washington, D.C. Dr Smith has held visiting teaching or research appointments at the University of Newcastle, Australia, and at Columbia University, New York.

Dr. Smith's main field of research is Indigenous archaeology. While she has conducted fieldwork with Indigenous groups in Asia and North America, her primary research interest lies with the archaeology of art and of modern material practices, explored through fieldwork with Aboriginal people from the Barunga region of the Northern Territory, Australia. She conducts research into the reshaping and relocation of Indigenous knowledge, explored in collaboration with Ngadjuri people from South Australia.

Dr Smith has broad international experience. She has been a visiting scholar at several institutions in the US and in South Africa, and has given lectures in Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, England, France, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Morocco, New Zealand, Nigeria, Palau, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, South Africa, the USA and Wales.

As the twice-elected President of the World Archaeological Congress (2003–2008 and 2008–2014), Dr Smith has been in a position to develop a close understanding of the strengths and limitations of archaeological theory and practice in different parts of the world. She found that cutting-edge archaeological theory is being progressed by Spanish and Portuguese-speaking scholars in South America; that world-leading conservation techniques are developed in Japan and Italy; and that Russian and Arabic scholars have deep knowledge of their own cultural heritage, but their work is rarely published in English. This understanding became Dr Smith’s inspiration for an encyclopedia that is truly global in content.

“Entries are well illustrated with colour photographs, diagrams, plans, graphs and tables, and each is concluded with cross-references and generous, up-to-dare bibliographies divided into text references and further reading. … The involvement of more than the usual English-language cohort of contributors definitely gives this encyclopedia a special character and strengthens its international credentials. … It is particularly strong on cultural relevance and issues of contemporary concern such as ethics and repatriation … .” (Chris Scarre and Robert Witcher, Antiquity, Vol. 89 (343), February, 2015)

“It can be continually updated as new information comes to light, supplementing the printed set, and giving it the opportunity to become, perhaps, the definitive reference work in the field of archaeology. … It is an ideal resource for academics and scholars and should be recommended to anyone studying the discipline of archaeology.” (Louise Ellis-Barrett, Reference Reviews, Vol. 29 (1), 2015)